Absolution
by MizEmily
Summary: Now 83 more enjoyable! Sesshoumaru is grievously wronged and maimed by Naraku. But don't expect the great demon Prince to take it lying down! Join Sesshoumaru, Kagome, and the rest of the Inutachi for a goodolefashioned Naraku ass kicking!
1. So It Begins

"Kagome, no!" yelled Inuyasha… the hanyou was frantic, nearly mindless with anger, and he didn't know exactly how to react to the situation into which he'd been placed. He was falling right into his half-brother's deadly hands.

Sesshoumaru's noxious poison whip crackled in the night air. "For the very last time, _brother_, hand the Tetsusaiga over to me, or I will destroy this precious human of yours." Kagome struggled to free herself, but Sesshoumaru's grip on her hair was unmercifully tight.

"Let her go, you bastard! If you harm her, there will be no end to the pain I will cause you." Inuyasha's words were fierce; he had never been one to hide his emotions, especially where his brother and his friends were concerned.

Sesshoumaru smirked, the moon making bright reflections on his elongated canines. "And where do you think yours will end, if you cause me to take this girl's life?" He pulled Kagome upright on to her feet, ignoring her cries of pain. "Come now, little brother… Tetsusaiga or the miko? Which will you keep?"

Kagome looked up, and saw indecision written all over Inuyasha's face. Since the hanyou was usually quick to shoot first, question later, Kagome felt a bit uneasy. He was _thinking_ about giving the Tetsusaiga to Sesshoumaru? He couldn't! With the legendary fang in his possession, Sesshoumaru would certainly destroy them... if he could even touch the thing, that is. It hadn't worked out too well for him any of the previous times he'd gotten an itch to take the fang.

She closed her eyes… if only that jewel shard she'd sensed earlier hadn't been the one joining the stump of Sesshoumaru's left arm to a newly affixed human one. Steeling herself for more hair-tugging, Kagome cried out, "Inuyasha, if you give him the sword he'll kill us both!"

Sesshoumaru frowned in distaste. The girl truly thought so poorly of him? His half-brother's _human female_ thought him so low as to kill weak, defenseless creatures such as they would be once Tetsusaiga was wrested from Inuyasha? _Well_, he thought, _perhaps in the past…_

"I have offered Inuyasha a choice and he must make one, but I do not seek to dishonor myself with foul human trickery. Inuyasha!" he roared. "Make your choice, hanyou. My patience wears thin and my claws grow thirsty for blood." To prove his sincerity, Sesshoumaru drew a thin line into the warm flesh of Kagome's neck.

Inuyasha looked deeply into Kagome's eyes and made his choice. He slammed Tetsusaiga into the dirt, the handle wavering side to side. "Release her and it's yours, Sesshoumaru."

His demon brother grinned in triumph and threw Kagome at Inuyasha by the neck. She screamed, half in pain and half in fright, and braced herself for the bone shattering impact that did not come. Once her tightly shut eyes opened, she would see Inuyasha's silver hair flowing madly as he raced her to safety, and Sesshoumaru's coldly glowing form walking slowly toward his great father's sword.

As Sesshoumaru approached the dull, reverted sword, he pinned a smile to his infallibly stoic face.

"Ah, Tetsusaiga. How long I have waited for you… though it pains me to say after I have completed my business with my enemy, so will I have concluded my business with you."

Sesshoumaru picked up the sword in his human hand, and, surprisingly enough, the barrier did not repel his efforts. His thin smile turned into a grimace as he realized why.

_Do you have something to protect?_

"Yes father. I have something dear to protect."

And he supposed that his memories were precious enough for Tetsusaiga, as well.

_**(Two months earlier)…**_

Sesshoumaru glanced over at Rin. The energetic 10 year old was chasing butterflies in the afternoon sunshine, her pink yukata soaked to her knees. The afternoon was pleasant to Sesshoumaru. He had promised Rin they would stop by the creek, and he was always true to his word. So here they were, lazing away in the heat of the day by a cool stream.

Sesshoumaru let his lips slide into a rare smile as he watched his little human girl dance in the river, yellow butterflies swirling around her small, dark head.

"Sesshoumaru-sama! Come play with me and the butterflies!" Rin cried in her melodic child's voice. Jaken, Sesshoumaru's toad youkai servant, tsk-ed from beside his master. "Foolish human child. To think that she could coerce my Lord Sesshoumaru into such activity," he muttered. But when he turned to his Lord, there was only Toukijin and Tenseiga to answer him. His whipped around, and sure enough, there was his master, calf-deep in water.

The cool flow of the stream set Sesshoumaru's mind at ease… something that had not happened in too long. He sighed and stretched his arms, both human and demon, contemplating the fine mood in which he found himself. As he closed his eyes, a tiny hand grasped his own, and he peered down to see Rin beaming at him.

"Why Rin, what is that you have there?" Sesshoumaru asked, and scooped something from her ponytail. When she looked, Rin saw the small butterfly in Sesshoumaru's hand, and she giggled. "It likes you, Sesshoumaru-sama!" He brought the butterfly up to his face, and it took off, only to land once more in his white locks. Rin erupted into a fit of laughter, and Sesshoumaru, caught up in the moment, laughed as well.

Jaken only stared at the two, for there was nothing he could do in his state of shock. Had his Lord actually _laughed_? With a human, no less! He believed so, but then again, his mind could be playing tricks on him in the heat. His master had laughed only once before, to his knowledge, and it had been so long ago that Jaken was at a loss to recall the occasion for it. Truly, the little girl was changing his Lord… but for better or worse he could not yet decide.

To all three of the sunbather's surprise, another laugh joined with Rin and Sesshoumaru's. A cold, humorless laugh that shot straight into Sesshoumaru's heart like an arrow in winter. Quickly, he gathered Rin in his human arm and turned to the shore. Standing in the sand, holding Sesshoumaru's Toukijin and Tenseiga, was Naraku. In his tentacles, Naraku held Jaken.

"Ah, the great Lord Sesshoumaru… it has been so long that I had forgotten how careless you can be. Leaving your sword _and_ servant by the wayside. Pity for you," he said gleefully. And without any warning or thought, Naraku ripped Jaken's head from his shoulders.

Rin, watching in terror as blood fell in great splashes, cried out for the now dead youkai and buried her face in her Lord's pristine robes. Sesshoumaru's gut clenched as the lifeless body of his servant rolled into the dirt, his blood staining the sand a deep shade of crimson.

"You will pay for the wrong you have just done me, hanyou," Sesshoumaru growled. Rin sobbed, her little heart aching for her lost tormentor and companion. "You have caused my human child much pain, but I swear that you shall share my servant's fate."

Naraku grinned maniacally, and flashed Toukijin in front of his face. "Well, _Lord_ Sesshoumaru, perhaps I should show you and your human mercy… by killing you now!" he cried, and shot his hideous tentacles toward Sesshoumaru and Rin.

Without a weapon, Sesshoumaru was forced to use his claws and youki whip, and that meant he would have to get close to Naraku to strike him down. He gripped Rin tightly to his chest and jumped away from the tentacles, slicing two in the process. But two more shot from Naraku's body, and Sesshoumaru narrowly avoided being skewered by them.

"Fool! You cannot defeat me without your swords, and certainly not with that pathetic girl in your arms. Although I shall relieve you of that momentarily," Naraku sneered, and advanced upon the demon Lord and his child. A large tentacle shot toward Sesshoumaru, and he was not quite quick enough to dodge this one.

The demon Lord felt his body tense in anticipation.

The things wrapped around his human attachment, where Rin was held fast to him, and pulled. With a sickening, flesh-ripping sound his arm was torn from his body before he could react, and with the arm fell Rin. Sesshoumaru's mind exploded in pain, and he roared his agony, reaching for his child with his right arm. Once again, and impossibly, he was not quick enough.

A smaller tentacle shot off the last one and gripped Rin around the throat. With a dull horror throbbing through his pain-laced mind, Sesshoumaru realized what was about to happen. And he could only watch as the tentacle tightened more and more, Rin gasping for a breath that would never come. In one last squeeze, the tentacle broke Rin's neck, then decapitated the no longer struggling child.

Sesshoumaru could not even cry out for her, so great was his physical and mental anguish. Not even Tenseiga could bring back his poor, mangled child now. He felt Naraku slide a hand around his throat, but he had stopped caring for his plight when Rin's once-bright eyes dulled.

"Now suffer, my Lord," spat Naraku.

Then Sesshoumaru knew nothing but the comforting arms of darkness.


	2. In the Time of Great Sorrow

Sesshoumaru, the great inu youkai, shuddered in the chill night air.

He recalled nothing after Naraku had knocked him, senseless, into the river. He supposed he had floated downstream to the nearest village, whose inhabitants had taken pity on a lone, broken spirit of the forest. When he was able to gain his senses again, he was on a very comfortable palate in a very dark hut. His swords, no doubt taken by Naraku, were not by his side. The only light in the small space was a tiny candle that flickered violently when he sat up.

He growled in pain, confused by the bloody bandage on his left shoulder. He slowly recalled the human attachment being torn off, just before Rin had… No. He didn't want to think about it. He didn't want to think about the human girl who had obviously loved him, and who, whether he liked to admit it or not, he had loved in his own way as well. Now she was gone, ripped into pitiful pieces by a lowly, power hungry, self-righteous hanyou.

_I will show him the meaning of power,_ he thought with grim determination.

In the darkness of the abandoned hut, Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, plotted to take his revenge on Naraku.

**_Present Time (Feudal Era)_**

"Damn him to a fiery death!" yelled Inuyasha. He paced back and forth beside the campfire, Sango and Kagome eyeing him warily.

"That bastard… I will _kill_ him and I will _enjoy_ it…" he continued to growl. Kagome sucked in a sharp breath as Sango cleaned her neck wound. Inuyasha tensed for a second at the sound of her pain, but continued pacing and muttering.

Miroku sighed and poked the campfire with a long stick. He, as well as the other members of the shard-hunting party, was quite disturbed and disquieted by the news that Sesshoumaru had been able to take Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha. His eyes darted from the flames to the angry hanyou beside him. "This behavior will do nothing for us, Inuyasha, and nothing _can_ be done while Kagome-sama is being tended to." Inuyasha whirled on the houshi and bared his teeth.

"I'm not trying to _do something_ about the situation, monk. I'm trying to relieve some of my tension by yelling… or do you want me to cut you to pieces instead?" he barked, and Miroku shrank back, shaking his head. "That's what I thought," Inuyasha sniffed, and returned to his fevered pacing.

"All done," chirped Sango. Kagome touched her freshly bandaged cut, and winced. "The poison is strong, and it may be tender for a while. Just try not to aggravate it," Sango said, noticing her pained expression. Kagome only nodded in response.

Seeing that his okaa-san was well again, Shippou came bounding out from his hiding spot behind Miroku. "Kagome! Are you all right now?" he asked as he leapt onto Kagome's lap. She laughed and hugged him to her. "I'm fine, Shippou. Sesshoumaru just scared Inuyasha and I, that's all…" she trailed, and then whispered, "but don't bother him. He's very angry right now." Shippou thought it best to obey his okaa-san, and he curled himself up on her lap, content to watch Inuyasha for the time being.

No one in the little group noticed a shadow watching them from downwind. But Sesshoumaru knew what needed to be done to defeat Naraku… and now he needed this band of fools and his brother.

Rin… oh, my little one. I could not express my love for you in life, and only your death has brought upon this change of my heart. Why was I so cold to you? I could not accept the fact that I, a Great Lord, could care for a human like you. I would not make my father's mistake of harboring affections for those I considered beneath me. I was such a fool…

From the moment you came into my life I knew things would change. I did not know you would warm my heart so, my child, but you did. And once I let you in, you were snatched away from me, and I could not save your body. But I will save your memory, Rin. I will strike down your murderer with all the fury I possess, and I will avenge your passing.

But I will not be able to do it on my own. I know it even as I know my hatred of Inuyasha must be pushed aside. For even though he is as worthless as any human, he knows what it is to have loved and lost. He avenges his dead priestess as I shall avenge you, my dearest one, and it will take all the strength of the Inuyoukai. For you, my Rin, my child…I go to annihilate my enemy and strike him from this earth…

Sesshoumaru clicked his claws together as he contemplated his feelings for the human child, and the changes she had exacted in his being. Yes, she had changed him, however gradually. He knew what it was to care, and also what it was to care about nothing at all. He preferred caring, truthfully. Caring about something gave one a purpose in life, a motive for one's actions. And caring was leading him directly into the path of his despised brother.

He sighed and dropped from the tree in which he'd been watching the hanyou's frantic pacing. He noticed the tiny kitsune in the miko Kagome's lap, and was reminded of times when Rin would fall asleep on his shoulder as he carried her through the woods of his Western lands. Forcefully he shook the image from his mind, determined to concentrate only on the task at hand.

With Tetsusaiga clasped firmly in his cloth-covered right hand, he strode into the circle of firelight. Kagome was the fist to notice the youkai, and she stiffened, clutching Shippou tighter to her chest. This stirred the sleeping kitsune, and he awoke to find the great demon lord only a few feet from his okaa-san.

"Help, Inuyasha! It's Sesshoumaru! You stay away from my Kagome!" he hissed, and bared his tiny fangs as he crouched into a defensive position.

Inuyasha was in front of Kagome in a second flat. "You bastard, how dare you show your face around here again! You must _want_ to die," he growled, white ears flat against his head.

"Actually, brother, I want nothing of the sort. I have come here for different reasons than the death of anyone in this circle," Sesshoumaru said, seemingly unaffected by Inuyasha's threat. Drawing Tetsusaiga in front of him, he looked at each member of Inuyasha's group. Sango, Miroku, Kagome, Shippou, Inuyasha… even Kirara got a glance before he spoke once more. "I have come here in the hopes that you will join me in my quest to kill the murderous villain, Naraku."

Luckily Sesshoumaru had not expected a hasty reply, for he would have been sorely disappointed. All he received in return for his request was a group-full of shocked stares, and Miroku fell off the log upon which he sat. He sighed. This was going to be just as difficult as he'd imagined.

A few hours later Sesshoumaru had re-told the events of that fateful afternoon, with Tetsusaiga at Toukijin's place on his hip. His head ached terribly as the horrid memories burst from his lips. It was such a loathsome burden on his heart, and sharing his grief with these humans and his brother did little to lighten his load.

When he looked up, both the women and kitsune were crying, and the monk Miroku looked stricken. Inuyasha could only stare into the ground as he felt the pain of his brother's loss. That was when Inuyasha made his decision.

"Sesshoumaru, we'll help you, if only to defeat Naraku. But… I'm- I'm sorry for your loss, for Jaken and… Rin," he said. He knew how much his brother cared for the human girl, though he figured Sesshoumaru would never admit it to him.

The demon Lord nodded in acceptance of his brother's words. "It… pained me… to come here and ask you for this favor. Though, now I think you may understand that I will do anything… _anything_, to avenge Rin's death." Sesshoumaru closed his eyes against the prickling sensation there, tilting his face into the moonlight. He had never cried; he would not start now.

Kagome had listened to his story, transfixed and horrified at the same time. Much as the demon before her must have been as Naraku stole his two most faithful companions from him on that warm summer day. She briefly wondered if comforting Inuyasha's elder brother was a foolish idea, but she took a deep breath, stood, and walked over to Sesshoumaru, crouching in front of his feet. She looked into his face, noting the lines that creased his brow as he tried to stifle the emotions raging through him. "Oh Sesshoumaru, I'm so sorry," she whispered, placing a tentative hand on his upturned palm.

His eyes opened, and the miko was in front of him, her hand on his. He looked into the warm, chocolate depths of her eyes, and was taken aback at the compassion and concern he saw there. Suddenly, all attempts to fight his pain seemed very futile, and his eyes closed once again, but this time in resignation. Sesshoumaru, the great stoic, let one single tear fall for the first time in his long life.


	3. The Spring at Night

Kagome held the once-again sleeping Shippou, stroking his little head as she watched Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru whisper to each other from across the fire pit. She supposed they were plotting a course of action. Any course they took with Sesshoumaru, she knew, would entail a lot of blood and pain for his enemies.

Gently, she placed Shippou on her sleeping mat. She stretched tired limbs before tiptoeing over to the two brothers and placing her hands on Inuyasha's shoulders. "Come on, guys, let's get some sleep. I know you want to get this all sorted out tonight, but you both need rest. Especially you, Inuyasha," she said, looking from him to Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha figured she meant he needed rest because Sesshoumaru had given them a bit of a beating that day, and he snarled. "We're men, Kagome, we don't need a _woman_ to tell us what to do. Now, leave us alone." Kagome's eyes went wide, then narrowed into tiny slits.

"Inuyasha… osuwari!" she shrieked, and Inuyasha was trounced into the ground at her feet. With a satisfied smirk, Kagome turned and walked back to her sleeping mat, gathering Shippou into her arms once more.

One corner of Sesshoumaru's mouth lifted slightly as his brother picked himself up from the dirt. "While it may be true that you do not need her to tell you what to do… next time I suggest you do it anyway," he said. Inuyasha glared at him, his hurt pride showing in the angry golden orbs.

"I don't need her _or_ you telling me what to do. Remember that, Sesshoumaru," he spat, and walked stiffly into the woods. Sesshoumaru sighed and stood, stretching, and walked back over to where Kagome was cuddling the kitsune.

She watched him approach her, noticing the grin on his face. "I know, you get a kick out of watching me sit Inuyasha, don't you? I would say that's mean, but I'd be a hypocrite," she giggled and patted the ground beside her before she realized what she'd done. Surprisingly, Sesshoumaru sat down without killing her.

Kagome could almost _hear_ the demon's internal conflict as he debated with himself whether or not to speak further. Finally, the battle was won, and Sesshoumaru turned his regal head her way.

"Some day, miko, I would like to speak with you about… what happened to me after Rin died," he said, clearing his throat. "I would like to tell you how I feel, because these emotions are new and foreign to me. I have never loved anyone, with the exception of my mother, and I suppose it is the emotion that I felt for Rin. But I do not have her anymore. I cannot hold her as you hold that kitsune, miko… and that causes me unimaginable pain."

Kagome looked into his eyes for the second time that night, and almost gasped. If she had wanted to know exactly how much grief Rin's death had caused him, she needed only to look into his haunted face for the answer. His eyes, usually sparkling with life and energy, were dull and clouded. His visage was no longer the stone mask it had once been. Now he wore a constant frown on his noble brow. His beautiful features were shadowed in pain.

"Poor Sesshoumaru-sama."

Kagome bit her lip after letting that slip out, and quickly explained herself.

"Sorry. I don't pity you, Sesshoumaru… I just think you could use some compassion," she said in a low voice, and took his hand in her own. She was a bit wary of the claws that grew menacingly from his slender fingertips, but was relieved when he did not use them to tear her to shreds at the boldness of her actions.

That thought stopped her in her tracks.

_Do I really think so little of him? Sesshoumaru has nothing if not his honor… so why am I always so convinced he'll kill me for the tiniest misstep? _Kagome was a bit disturbed by this, but realized she wasn't totally off the mark. He _had_ tried to kill her before… But now the fight, at least toward she and her group, had left him. It was almost as if his strong, noble spirit had been squelched under the heel of the beast that was Naraku. Even his nails were unkempt.

Kagome thought this was, if not pitiable, extremely unfair.

"We'll talk, Sesshoumaru, but we have to do it some other time. You need sleep, and I need to visit the hot springs after that close encounter I had with the ground today. Not to mention my head is _really_ sore," she smiled and released his hand

Sesshoumaru bowed his head in apology. "I was only determined to take the sword, not harm you." Kagome waved his words away.

"I know that now, and besides, you just scratched me. My little brother has done worse than that, believe me," she laughed, and Sesshoumaru almost smiled.

"Perhaps, miko, I might join you at the hot springs. It shames me to admit that I have not kept myself as groomed as I did… before…" he trailed, and looked expectantly, though quite innocently, at Kagome. She blushed from head to toe and wiggled a bit.

"Um, that's not really… appropriate," she gulped, looking at her nails. What in the gods names did he think he was doing, asking to _bathe_ with her? Didn't he know you don't bathe _naked_ with people of the opposite sex? He must not have.

"Is it not? Humans do not bathe together? This is strange. I cannot understand your reasoning for this, miko. Youkai tribes bathe in groups as it is much safer to be in numbers lest an enemy attack while they are unarmed." He stopped himself there, and looked at her as if this was all supposed to make perfect, undeniable sense, and she was supposed to bow in acquiescence.

Kagome sighed. Could she really argue with his logic? She probably could, and would if he wasn't looking at her like she'd be a complete and utter fool to disagree with him. She had wondered what _he_ was doing, now she wondered what _she_ was doing.

"No, Sesshoumaru, it's alright. You can come with me, but… but you have to _promise_ me that you will stay out of sight until I say you can come in to the springs. Agreed?" she asked, and looked at him.

"Agreed, miko," he said. And while Kagome gathered her bathing supplies, Sesshoumaru headed off into the woods to find the springs, his keen nose leading the way.

_oooooooo_

Kagome looked around the hot springs, trying to locate Sesshoumaru. When she could not, it was to her great relief. She relaxed then, and slipped off her uniform. Part of her wondered why she still wore it. In all honesty, she'd been at school only five days in the past month. And in the last three years, she'd been there for a grand total of two months. Fortunately graduation could be put off, but the fate of the Shikon no Tama could not.

With her bra and panties still firmly in place, Kagome slid into the warm water and piled her hair on top of her head, keeping it out of the way until she was ready to wash it. "Sesshoumaru, you can come out now!" she called. She squeaked when he stepped out into the clearing before her, naked as the day he was born.

"_Sesshoumaru_! What the-! You're _naked_!" Kagome squealed, covering her horribly red face with her hands. "You could've at least come out in your underwear, geez!" she huffed, and dared to peek through her fingers. Sesshoumaru, in all his naked glory, was wading hip-deep in the water. Kagome let her hands fall.

"You are certainly strange, miko. Of course I am without my clothing. Do you bathe in yours?" He asked, looking inquisitive. Kagome pointed to her bra and underwear, still scarlet.

Sesshoumaru tilted his head to the side, perplexed. "_Very_ strange indeed." With the grace of a swan, the taiyoukai waded over to Kagome and sat up against the rocky side of the spring.

Suddenly, Kagome was very aware of his proximity… not to mention his nudity.

Her cheeks flamed, but she continued to look at him. Truth be told, he was a very intimidating person, clothed or not. But without his armor, Sesshoumaru looked more at ease, and less intense. The lines in his brow were gone now, smoothing his features. Kagome decided, evil or not, Inuyasha's brother was the most beautiful being she had ever laid eyes on. And with that embarrassing thought, she slid under the water.

Sesshoumaru noticed the miko staring at him, but he did not mind. He had admired her beauty, and it was pleasing to him. Though he considered himself to be above such base emotions as lust, he could appreciate beauty, and did on many occasions… this being one of them.

Unbeknownst to the miko, he _had_ been able to see her from his position in the woods, and noted how lovely she was… for a human. He was glad when she shed her strange, immodest clothing. A woman such as herself should be wearing a yukata, not that _thing_ she had on. And when she did drop her outfit on the rocks, he was surprised at how beautiful she really was. Why did she want to hide her body from others? She was certainly not ugly, nor did she have any deformities, save for a small scar on her hip. Sesshoumaru sighed. Yes, humans were indeed strange creatures.

Kagome emerged from the water and swam to her shampoo and soap. She kept her eyes away from Sesshoumaru, who was still watching her for some reason. "Here," she said, "Use this to wash yourself." She handed him the ivory soap, and he took it without a word. She then poured shampoo into her hands and began to gently lather her hair. When she had rinsed it, she turned back to Sesshoumaru. He was still watching her intently.

"What is that you are putting in your hair, miko?" he asked, sniffing the air. He smelled flowers, and assumed it was coming from the liquid the miko was using. Perhaps that was why she always smelled like a field in spring.

"This is my shampoo… you put it in you hair and it, uh, cleans it," she said. "Would you like to use some?" Kagome thought it would be hilarious to see the great Lord of the Western lands using her Herbal Essences, especially when she thought about the commercials on TV, and burst out laughing at the image of Sesshoumaru going 'ooh' and 'ahh' while washing his hair.

She shook her laughter off when she saw the eyebrow he had raised at her actions. "Sorry, sorry… Look, just take this," she said and squeezed some into his hand after he had dropped the bar of soap, which began floating harmlessly around the two.

"Now, put it in your hair, and… rub."

She watched as Sesshoumaru plopped the goo on his head and began to dispassionately rub it in. "I do not understand, miko. This seems pointless," he sighed, dropping his hand into the water, foam still in his hair.

"Just turn around," Kagome said, and Sesshoumaru complied willingly. Kagome stood, strategically placing her hair over her bra-covered breasts. She put more shampoo in her hands, and then gently put it in his hair. He glanced back at her and she gasped, cheeks once again flaming. "Hey! Turn back around," she hissed at him, and he sighed but did it anyway. She grabbed his long, white-silver hair and began to lather it. It took her a good three minutes to get all of it sufficiently covered in suds.

While she was rubbing the 'shampoo' through his hair, Sesshoumaru could not help but feel very relaxed. This was also pleasing to him. Her small hands in his hair felt wonderful, and he smiled. The first stirrings of desire rumbled deep in his being, and his eyes flashed open. No, he could not, and would not feel this way toward the human. It was against everything in his nature, and he did not want to trouble one who was being so kind to him with his… afflictions. But his damnable body could not be controlled, and he felt his heart beat a bit faster, his breaths become a bit shallower. He gritted his teeth and hoped the miko would not notice the aroused state he was in.

But Kagome did notice his breathing pattern change. Her heart skipped a beat. _Oh no,_ she thought_, what have I done? What if he can't control himself? There's no one to hear me out here… _Once again she berated herself for thinking such horrible thoughts about Sesshoumaru. He was _always _in control, right? She steeled herself for anything that might happen, and told him to sink down so she could rinse the shampoo from his hair.

"On second thought, why don't you do that yourself? I need to go over here and get my condition-… er… what exactly are you doing?" she asked the demon who had turned around to stare at her for the third time that night.

Kagome stopped her retreat and gave him a questioning look. "Sesshoumaru, please stop staring at me like that," she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn't know whether to be flattered or scared right at the moment.

"Months ago, miko, my mind was clouded with inconsequential things, and only recently did I realize just how inconsequential they were. Such as my hatred of humans, and that includes you, Kagome," he said, advancing upon the girl before him.

Kagome's mouth dropped when he said her name. She didn't think he actually knew what it was, but boy, was she wrong. And coming from his mouth it sounded beautiful, even to her. She stiffened as he closed in. "You mean you don't hate me anymore?" was the only thing she could think to say, Sesshoumaru's heated gaze upon her body making it very hard to think.

"No, I do not. In fact, I quite admire your determination, your strong spirit, your kindness…your beauty," he said, and reached out to stroke a clawed hand gently down her arm. He saw her eyes widen and heard her breathing slip into a pattern more like his own. So she also felt he was desirable. He very much wanted to show her just how desirable he was.

"Sesshoumaru," she whispered, and put a hand on his chest to push him back. That seemed to break the spell that was holding him.

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and bowed his head, allowing his arm to drop away from hers. "Apologies, miko. Sometimes, I am unable to…" he started, but stopped and looked up into her eyes.

He didn't have to finish, because Kagome knew exactly what he was going to say

_He was going to say he can't control himself… _ It was the one thing Kagome had not wanted him to say, for it meant the danger she felt might be for a good reason after all.

"No, it's alright. You don't need to apologize for anything. I just want to get back to camp and go to sleep, that's all."

Sesshoumaru gazed down at her and sighed. "Perhaps you are right. It is quite late, and we must start our journey tomorrow." He stroked her hair absently, and she looked up at him with flaming cheeks once more. "Come… let us get our rest."

He turned away from her and walked to the shore, his still-wet hair clinging to his body. Kagome felt her heart beat in double time as he faced her, grabbing his kimono. "Come," he reiterated, and she also made her way to the shore. She blushed as she emerged, quite aware of the fact that she was now standing before him in wet, see-through undergarments.

They dressed quickly and began the walk back to camp in silence. Before they arrived, however, Sesshoumaru touched Kagome's arm, and she turned to look up at him.

"Thank you."

Then he was off again. Kagome watched his retreating form for a moment before following him. As she settled herself into her sleeping bag, placing Shippou on her stomach, she smiled, thinking about her strange, strange evening. _Kagome Higurashi, what have you gotten yourself into now?_


	4. Curiouser and Curiouser

The group woke, broke their fast with ramen, and moved on an hour after sunrise. Sesshoumaru had mentioned a town ahead of them by a few hours, so, in need of food and supplies, they went in the direction he had pointed them. They wandered for a while, everyone seemingly lost in thought, until Sesshoumaru stopped in front of them and held up a hand. Inuyasha joined his brother and sniffed the air. "It… it smells like… Kagura," he said, perplexed.

Sesshoumaru nodded in agreement. "Yes, it does," he growled menacingly. So Naraku had sent another of his puppets to deal with him, eh? He dropped his hand and turned to his left. Then he ran, hunting down the scent of the hated detachment. Inuyasha huffed at his brother's impetuousness, and ran after him.

Kagome, Sango, Miroku, Shippou and Kirara all made noises of frustration and flopped onto the forest floor. Kagome pulled Shippou onto her lap and grabbed a soda from her bag. Shippou's eyes went wide, and he licked his lips in anticipation of the caffeine rush he'd soon be getting. Kagome saw him rubbing his little hands together, and stopped opening the can. "Oh no, Shippou… I brought _this_ for you," she said, and handed him a bottle of orange juice. "That doesn't have any caffeine, and it's much better for a growing boy like yourself." Shippou growled and crossed his arms. Sometimes he wished Kagome _wasn't_ his okaa-san…

_oooooooo_

Inuyasha spotted his brother high in a tree, and leapt to join him. Sesshoumaru was staring intently at something. When Inuyasha pointed his eyes in the same direction, he saw what had him so transfixed. It was Kagura, all right. Inuyasha smelled the salt from the tears she was obviously shedding, and Sesshoumaru growled. "Something about this is not right." As was habit, Inuyasha's brother dropped from the tree without warning, and Inuyasha had no choice but to follow.

When they landed on the ground with heavy thuds Kagura looked up, removing her head from her knees. Large streaks of black trailed down her cheeks; her eyes were swollen and red. It appeared she had been crying for a very long time.

"Why do you sit upon the ground and weep, wind sorceress?" Sesshoumaru asked, making his way to Kagura's side. When she did not move to attack… or reply, Inuyasha walked toward her as well.

"Why, Kagura… for one who holds much respect for this Lord, you are being quite _dis_respectful," Sesshoumaru said, noting her tears. He could tell something horrible had befallen her. He had never known Kagura to cry.

"Kagura, where is your sister?" Inuyasha inquired. He did not see Kanna anywhere in their vicinity, and since she was a nihility, he was sure that smelling her was not an option.

When Kagura finally spoke, her voice came out in a broken whisper that spoke volumes of the pain she had recently been privy to.

"Naraku… he… he set me free of my bonds. He also set Kanna free. Sesshoumaru-sama," she said in a pained whisper, "he killed her, and absorbed her body back into himself."

Sesshoumaru had suspected as much, but it still did not prepare him for the outburst of sobs that wracked the body of the small demoness beside him. She shook violently and covered her face with her delicate hands. "He killed her… he killed her. _Why_?" she screamed.

Sesshoumaru knelt down beside the kaze youkai.

Suddenly Kagura looked up. Her scarlet eyes traveled first to Sesshoumaru, then to his younger brother. Both could not mistake the malice and hatred they saw there.

"I am going to kill Naraku," she hissed. "For all the pain and suffering he has put me and Kanna through. For all _I_ have put _you_ through in his name… I will kill him."

Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru looked at each other, asking silent questions, receiving silent answers. And they decided something, then, together, for perhaps the first time in their lives. "Kagura, if this is how you feel… then we ask you to aid us in our quest to destroy Naraku," said Sesshoumaru, who held out his hand for the demoness. She took it.

_oooooooo_

Sesshoumaru was amazed. What exactly was Naraku thinking? He had tormented him, robbing him of his child and retainer, and now he was apparently throwing away his detachments without a care in the world.

Kagura, it could be argued, was nearly as inept as Jaken had been. She was often sent out on important tasks, but many times failed to accomplish them. Perhaps Naraku had grown weary of her ineptitude. It was possible. Though why he would free Kagura and kill one of his more useful servants was certainly puzzling.

_He wanted to break her spirit. He gave her what she wanted most in the world, but in return took the one thing she cared for… just like me_.

These thoughts drifted through his head in an orderly, logical fashion, and he knew then that Naraku's evil was nearly beyond control. It all made too much sense. Naraku must have gone insane with power to think that he could break his former servant's spirit… much less his own.

In any case, Sesshoumaru's willingness to slaughter the hanyou had grown tenfold as he listened to Kagura weep into her white and fuchsia kimono.

_oooooooo_

Kagura, powerful kaze youkai and former Naraku lackey, had just made a truce with her enemies. Though, now that she thought back on _why_ she had antagonized the two for so long… it had all been for her former master, Naraku. She really had no problem with either of them, and Sesshoumaru-sama had been correct: she did hold him in a high degree of respect. That was why, when the allying hand was proffered, she had taken it without hesitation. If Lord Sesshoumaru had it in mind to destroy Naraku, he could and _would_ not fail.

Once she had stood and wiped the tears from her cheeks, Kagura bowed deeply to the brothers. "Inuyasha-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama. I wish to apologize for any pain and harm I may have caused you or your traveling companions while I was bound to Naraku. I also thank you for this alliance. Though I wonder, Sesshoumaru, what is your reason for wanting to align with your long-hated brother and defeat Naraku?"

Sesshoumaru felt Inuyasha bristle at Kagura's off-handed comment, and he held up a hand to still him. "We accept your apology, Kagura. As for why I have chosen to join Inuyasha and eliminate Naraku… the bastard hanyou killed my servant Jaken, and my- my child, Rin," he stammered. Oh gods, he could still see her tiny, headless body in Naraku's disgusting tentacles. The thought made him ill, even now.

Kagura was stunned. Why would Naraku _intentionally_ make an enemy of the great Lord of the west? It made no sense to her, and she could not think of any reason one would choose to incur the mighty taiyoukai's wrath. But incurred his wrath is exactly what Naraku had done, and now he would certainly pay for his actions. Kagura had also noted how he fumbled over the child Rin's name. He had called her _his_ child. _He must have loved her very much. To think that Sesshoumaru would lay claim to a child… and a human one, at that. Yes, she must have been his warmth in a rather cold, lonely existence,_ she thought.

Inuyasha huffed testily. "Alright, if we're all done with the pleasantries, let's get back to the others… Kagome's probably worried," he sighed, and then bounded off to join the rest of the Inu-tachi.

Sesshoumaru and Kagura looked at each other for a moment, before she laughed. "The miko holds a powerful sway over your brother."

Sesshoumaru could only nod in agreement. "She does, and rightly so. Kagome has a strong will… stronger even than Inuyasha's, I believe. She will serve him very well in the times to come, when Inuyasha needs a reason to keep fighting. He will never fail so long as he has the ones he loves by his side." Once this had been said, the taiyoukai turned away and motioned the wind demoness to follow him.

_oooooooo_

Inuyasha arrived back at the place he had left his human companions not ten seconds before Sesshoumaru and Kagura. So it was no surprise, really, that Kagome had her bow out and an arrow nocked when they came into the clearing.

"Inuyasha, get down!" she yelled, and he ducked his head quickly. A sharp twanging sound was heard, as was a gasp from Kagome. Inuyasha looked behind him.

There was Sesshoumaru, and arrow clutched in his right hand, the tip but inches from Kagura's chest.

He tossed the offending instrument back at Kagome's feet. "This wind demoness is no longer our enemy, miko. She has sworn us allegiance, and will help to defeat Naraku. Save your arrows."

Kagome blushed and mouthed 'sorry' to the Taiyoukai. He nodded in response.

There was a moment of silence before Miroku spoke. "I for one am glad to have the Lady's assistance," he grinned, appraising the kaze youkai's lithe form. He smiled at her, and she smiled back, not quite realizing what was going on. Everyone _else_ knew, however, and Miroku was awarded with a slap from Sango for his efforts.

"Baka! Must you do that to every pretty girl you meet?" Sango yelled, and Miroku sighed dreamily, rubbing his cheek.

"It cannot be helped, Sango. It is in my nature to appreciate… beautiful women."

Just then, Sango let out an ear-piercing shriek as Miroku's hand ran over her bottom…

And then they were off, Miroku only a few feet in front of the taijiya's wildly swinging hiraikotsu.

_oooooooo_

Kagome put the finishing touches on Miroku's bandage. "There you are! Now, don't take this off for a while… we wouldn't want you to bleed to death," she said to the pouting houshi whose head was cradled gently in her lap.

"Well, not all of us would mind," Sango replied, glaring at the monk. "Houshi-sama, you have _got_ to learn to keep your hands away from me. I just might kill you next time."

Miroku sighed, gingerly touching his newly bandaged head wound. "Forgive me, Sango-chan. I cannot help the wandering of my hands when confronted with such beauty and perfection as your body."

Sango must have turned purple with embarrassment, but managed to choke out a 'thank you' before walking away from the rest of the group.

The rest of group now included Kagura, the kaze youkai, who could not help but smirk at the actions of the humans once Sango had disappeared.

"Houshi, why do you not simply ask the taijiya to become your mate? It seems the subtle hints and… touches… you give her are not enough. We youkai have much less trouble when mating. Perhaps a show of force upon her would-" but Kagura was cut off by a low growl from Inuyasha. Kagura raised her eyebrows at him, not realizing her mistake.

"You forget, Kagura, that Miroku and Sango are not youkai, and such displays of power are taken to much less kindly by the human race. I believe the word they might use is 'rape'," Sesshoumaru said from behind his silver hair. His chin rested on his chest, the white strands of his mane blowing gently across his brow and nose. "And, as you see, Miroku may be quite overpowered by the taijiya should he consider taking this route. I myself find the mating habits of humans to be… quite lacking in their efficiency."

The wind demoness nodded in understanding, though she could _not_ understand why the demon slayer, Sango, refused the monk. Kagura had not been with the group but half an hour, and already she could feel the sexual tension between the two. It was so thick; Sesshoumaru-sama could have cut it with Toukijin… if he'd had it, that is.

"This is well and good, but I think what we all need is rest. Let us sleep soundly tonight, and rise early. Our journey is still a long one," Purred Sesshoumaru from his resting place.

Kagome was quite tired, and would have loved nothing more than to fall into her sleeping bag with her big, fluffy pillow. But how could she leave poor Miroku-sama? Her answer came when the houshi, in usual fashion, groped her. Yep, that would do it. Sighing, she stood and let him fall from her lap onto the dirt.

"Why is it always me who is left without a loving hand?" Miroku asked the stars. When none answered, he turned on his side and tried to fall asleep by the dying fire's warmth.


	5. Inuyasha's Magical Mystery Tour!

This presentation brought to you by: **YoukaiOfLove**. And now, a word from our sponsor… me!

I have learned, from my experience on , that a story shouldn't be written for anyone but yourself. That is _precisely_ the reason I've decided to re-write this fic. It was always meant to be a Sess/Kag romance/adventure, but I made the mistake of letting someone else's feelings about the story persuade me to write it otherwise. So, in short, this story will actually come from the heart, and it will be loverly!

**Disclaimer**: Hahahahahahahahahaha… ::breathes::… Hahahahahaha-! Oh, you were _serious_?

_oooooooo_

Kagome awoke the next morning with a pounding headache, and an agitated hanyou staring down at her. She hugged the still-slumbering Shippou a bit tighter to her chest and smiled warily at Inuyasha. "Uh… morning?"

All she received in return was a 'keh'.

Obviously, something was amiss, and Kagome was determined to figure out just what had Inuyasha's undies in a bunch. So, as gently as she could, she slid from her bedding and lowered Shippou back into the warmth of the sleeping bag. Inuyasha was warming his bare feet by the morning fire, and she quietly made her way over to him.

He gave her an annoyed sideways glance, but said nothing. Errantly, he dug a toe into the warm dirt, and Kagome sighed, rubbing her aching head. Sometimes he really was impossible.

"What's wrong, Inuyasha?" she asked. Suddenly her heart started racing, beating like mad against her ribcage, and her head felt like it had been encased in a vice. She placed a pale, shaky hand over her left breast as her vision began to swim. Kagome wondered momentarily what the hell was happening to her, but then she remembered that she hadn't eaten since breakfast yesterday.

Inuyasha blinked in surprise as she began to sway back and forth. He was ready to catch her, but apparently someone had beaten him to it. He glared daggers at his half-brother. How dare he touch his Kagome? He was ready to say as much when Kagome muttered something.

"So hungry," she moaned, wiping at the fine sheen of sweat on her brow. She looked up into the cool visage of Sesshoumaru and blinked twice. _Sesshoumaru_ had caught her? Somehow, she was not surprised… and that in itself surprised her. She brushed the thoughts from her mind as a very loud grumble emanated from her stomach. She groaned again, and struggled to sit up, unassisted.

Bleary eyes gazed first from Inuyasha, then to Sesshoumaru, then back to Inuyasha. Hadn't… hadn't he wanted something before she'd so ungracefully swooned into his brother's arms? She opened her mouth to ask him what it was that had him so miffed that morning, but he spoke first.

"Were you going to cook us breakfast or what?"

Sesshoumaru could have sworn that Kagome's eyes turned as red as blood for a split second. And then she screamed. Loudly.

"You uncaring, ungrateful BASTARD! How dare you? How _dare_ you! I just blacked out from hunger, and you tell me to make breakfast? SIT!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened as he was thrown into the ground. "Kagome…" he growled, gasping for breath.

"Sit sit sit sit SIT! I am going to make breakfast… for everyone but you! You can manage on your own!" And with that, and an indignant stomp of her small foot, the young miko walked over to her pack, removed several packs of ramen, and threw them into the Inuyasha-sized crater her subduing spell had made.

"And I hope you choke on them!"

_oooooooo_

About half an hour later, everyone except Inuyasha had nice, hot bowls of beef ramen on his or her laps. The hanyou was having a bit of trouble. His ramen was undercooked, had too much water, and was so hot his tongue blistered when he tried to eat it. In disgust, he threw the bowl over his shoulder.

"Keh. I'm sick of these damn noodles anyway. I'm gonna go find some _real_ food."

And nobody tried to stop him.

While Inuyasha sulked off into the woods, the rest of the group had a pleasant meal. Even Kagura felt comfortable in the midst of her once-enemies.

"Arigato… for the meal," she said, head lowered. Everyone stopped eating, with the exception of Sesshoumaru, and stared at her in surprise. Kagome smiled at the wind sorceress.

"You're welcome, Kagura. Would you like some more?" And when the demon nodded her head shyly, Miroku was only too happy to refill her bowl, giving her a… warm… pat… on the rear.

Kagura smiled back at him, then promptly whacked him upside his dirty little head with her fan.

Shippou giggled, hopping up onto the houshi's shoulder. "Miroku strikes again!"

_oooooooo_

"Stupid woman. Not making _me_ breakfast. Keh, next time demons attack us, I'll protect everyone but her. See if she likes _that_," Inuyasha muttered as he trudged through the woods in search of 'edible' food. So far, all he'd come up with was a handful of overripe blackberries and some suspicious-looking mushrooms.

He sniffed the berries and sighed. **Gulp.** Next came the mushrooms. **Choke, gasp**.

His hardly-sated stomach growled noisily. "Shut up!" he said, rubbing his abdomen. Right now he was wishing for a big, steaming bowl of Kagome's noodles, but he'd be damned if he tell _her_ that.

No, Inuyasha had _way_ too much pride to go groveling back to his miko like some puppy. So his stubborn ass marched around in the woods for another half hour before he noticed something… peculiar.

The forest was… beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. He looked at his hands. They were _beautiful_! He shook his head to clear his mind of these unusual thoughts, but the second his eyes closed, he saw bright swirls of color.

_Why do I feel so… happy? And why is everything suddenly so pretty? Yes, everything is very lovely. That tree is lovely. So are those squirrels!_

"Hi, squirrels!" cried the hanyou. To his dismay, the cute, furry animals did not speak back. "Oh well. Hey! Kagome made ramen! I can _smell_ it…" he said dreamily. If he hurried, he could make it back before breakfast was over!

_oooooooo_

Sango, Shippou, and Kagome were just about to start breakfast clean up when Inuyasha returned. He dove for the pot of ramen, and the three startled people in front of him just stared in amazement.

"Inuyasha! You're back," Kagome said, her curiosity overriding her need to slap him for eating the ramen she said he couldn't have. "Did you find some food?"

The hanyou was on his back, holding a fistful of noodles and dangling them, one by one, into his mouth. "Uh huh! I found some blackberries… and some yucky mushrooms. Hey! Kagome!" he said, sitting up and facing the girl. "Did you know there are _squirrels_ in the forest? And trees?"

No one could wipe the dumbfounded looks from their faces, but Inuyasha didn't seem to notice. He wiped his hands on his haori and moved closer to Kagome. He pressed his nose against hers and sniffed. "You're really pretty. I love you!" he said, and threw his arms around her shoulders.

Surprised was not quite the word Kagome would use to describe herself at that moment. Flabbergasted worked much better. As Inuyasha stood and walked over to his brother, Kagome spoke again.

"What kind of mushrooms did you eat?" she asked. She had a pretty good idea of what was going on now, although the others clearly did not.

Sesshoumaru regarded Inuyasha with caution. He did not know what his idiot brother was doing, but he certainly did not want him coming over there. Inuyasha obviously had just that in mind, and plopped down next to the demon lord.

"Hi," he said, grinning. Sesshoumaru's right eyebrow twitched, but he said nothing. The hanyou searched his brother's face for a moment, then he smiled again. "You know, you're pretty too. Like a girl!" This must have tickled Inuyasha's funny bone. He laughed and laughed, rolling on the ground and gasping for air.

Kagome noticed Sesshoumaru's eyes tinge red, and she quickly ran over to the two inu youkai before harm could befall her oblivious friend.

"Ok, I know what's going on here!" she cried, and gave Sesshoumaru a look that said 'please don't kill him'. The demon snorted with disgust and amusement, but nodded his agreement.

"Inuyasha said he ate some mushrooms. Well, there are some types of mushrooms that, uh… make you act funny. Like Inuyasha's acting. And the mushrooms aren't poisonous, so he probably thought they were safe," Kagome said, digging up all her knowledge of the 'magic mushrooms' that Inuyasha had no doubt ingested.

Looking from one stunned member of the group to the next, Kagome sighed. "It should wear off in about… six hours."

Sesshoumaru growled behind her. "I do not know if I can tolerate this ridiculous behavior for that amount of time," he said, eyeing the still giggling hanyou.

Inuyasha sat up and looked at his brother again… and immediately fell back into peals of joyful laughter. "Like a _girl_!"


	6. Captivating

I'm sitting at my computer writing this in my 'good' jeans, an Alabama Soccer State Champs t-shirt, and my cut-in-half soccer sock 'arm warmers'. I am SO cool… at least Inuyasha thinks so, right honey?

Inuyasha: Keh… yeah, you're _real_ cool. And does you boyfriend know you have me locked in your room?

Emily: You had to go and say that, didn't you? Like I said before, you're my guilty pleasure. Now, come here and let me scratch those widdle ears!

Inuyasha: Keep away from me, you- _ahh_… that's the spot… a _little_ left…

Emily: Hehehe… this is _my_ subduing spell…

_oooooooo_

He was dreaming again. No, in truth, he never _dreamed_… the abominations that flashed behind his closed eyes could only be called nightmares. Haunting images; terrible, sad memories that he wished would cease to plague his mind at night.

Tonight his plague would be Rin and Jaken as they were such a short time ago. Alive.

_oooooooo_

_Rin was twirling around in a field of knee-high grass, a small bouquet of multicolored wildflowers clutched in one tiny fist. Jaken stood off to the side, listlessly prodding the ground with his Staff of Heads. _

_"Lazy girl! I told you to gather food before you ran off to play! Don't you ever listen to me?" the frustrated toad squawked. _

_The girl seemed not to hear him, and continued to twirl. A moment later she stopped, but her world kept spinning. Clumsily, she fell to the grass, giggling like mad. An incensed Jaken waddled over to her prone form and huffed, gaining her attention._

_Rin smiled at the toad and looked up into the starry night sky. "Jaken-sama?" she whispered, a small frown crossing her face. "Jaken-sama… do you think that Sesshoumaru-sama… do you think he loves me?" The girl's voice was almost inaudible, but her grumpy companion had heard her nonetheless. _

"I suppose, Rin, that Sesshoumaru-sama does love you, just as I suppose that he loves me… in some way. After all, he rescues us when we're in danger, he does not let us want for anything…except perhaps a bit of praise now and then… but that is not the point! Love is…complicated, Rin. Perhaps you will understand when you're a bit older."

_The green demon watched Rin for a moment, then turned heel and stalked further into the field in search of something edible. _Such a strange child,_ he thought. _The things that spring into her mind sometimes…__

_Rin sat up after Jaken had left her. Her head was still leaned back, face skyward, but her eyes were closed. Suddenly she began to sway to and fro, like a cattail on the shores of a great sea. Her mouth opened, and a sweet, sad melody emerged._

_"In the mountain  
__In the forest  
__In the wind  
__In a dream.  
__Where are you, Sesshoumaru-sama?  
__With an ally like Jaken-sama  
__I will wait alone until you come.  
__Sesshoumaru-sama, please return."_

_When the song had run it's course, Rin sighed and opened her eyes to the midnight ceiling of stars. A small smile played on her lips, and she sighed. _

_"I love you, Sesshoumaru-sama…"_

_oooooooo_

Sesshoumaru was once again painfully ripped from his deceivingly pleasant nightmares. A light, feminine snoring was to blame, and the demon's golden eyes searched for the offender. There she was, with her mouth hanging open. Kagome.

Sesshoumaru successfully fought the urge to roll his eyes. The miko couldn't be quiet even in her sleep.

Though he _was_ glad for her verbosity earlier that day, when she'd spent six hours entertaining his idiot half-brother who had apparently ingested some mind-altering fungi. He had told her of his unwillingness to tolerate Inuyasha's crazed antics, and she had listened. For the next several hours she had skipped, run, jumped, and admired wildlife with her friend. And Sesshoumaru hadn't had to put up with any more comments about how he was 'pretty, like a girl'.

With his mind halfway between the newest nightmare and his brother's odd behavior, Sesshoumaru stood. He knew rest would not come to him again that night, and he supposed it would be wisest to spend the remaining hours till sunrise in a deep state of meditation. The demon lord had noticed a strangely shaped tree with several low-hanging branches as they crossed a small stream that evening. One of said low-hanging branches would be the perfect place to clear his mind of all that troubled him.

Giving the still-snoring miko a smirk and a dignified snort, Sesshoumaru turned to his left and made his way to the water's edge.

_oooooooo_

_"Oh! Are these for me?" Kagome said incredulously as a tall man in a Hawaiian shirt handed her a tropical cocktail, and a basket full of flowers and… chocolate. Her heart soared. Chocolate was her _favorite_. She thanked the man, set her presents beside her deck chair, and slipped one of the chocolate candies into her mouth._

_"This must be heaven," she sighed. The sun was warm on her pale skin, and a cool breeze was blowing in from the ocean. She glanced at the pool in front of her, and smiled. A man who looked a lot like Miroku was carrying a woman who looked a lot like Sango into the deeper water. But how was that possible? Even if they did come to her time, wouldn't Miroku have a huge, red handprint across his cheek by now? Kagome sighed again, but this time it was not in satisfaction._

_This was just a dream._

_She shook her head lightly. Even if it was a dream, she was going to enjoy it, damnit! So in the spirit of keeping the dream alive, she unwrapped and happily ate another of the dream chocolates. At least there was chocolate in her dreams._

_And then Kagome saw him. The pool boy, cleaning stray palm leaves from the otherwise pristine waters. His back was to her, but that hardly concerned her at the moment. She raked her eyes over his tanned calves, up past the red trunks he wore, up to his…rear. And what a nice rear it was. Small, round, yet oh-so-firm…yummy. Her gaze traveled up his toned back, noting the trim waist, over his strong shoulders, and finally to his… white hair? Kagome let out an involuntary gasp. Pool-boy heard her, and slowly turned to face her._

Oh no… oh no no no no no… that cannot be who I think it is… _her mind screamed. She would have turned away, but her sick, sick sense of curiosity was rooting her to the spot._

_And then, her worst fears were realized. It was none other than Sesshoumaru…that is, a tan, human Sesshoumaru. Of course it would be Sesshoumaru. He was what Kagome liked to call 'physical perfection', and he was so out of her league. He was a demon lord, and she was… well, she wasn't 'scum' anymore, but she was still human, still inferior, still below him._

Yeah, I wish I was below him right now… _came the horrible, evil thought from her horrible, evil mind. Dream Kagome slapped her hand to her mouth as if to keep those thoughts from becoming words, and finally met his eyes._

_Kagome's heart sped up, pounding in her ears as she looked into his golden orbs. Though everything else about him was human in this dream, his eyes remained their natural, pale amber color. Dream Sesshoumaru regarded her with mild interest, but then he did something that completely horrified her._

_He snorted._

oooooooo

Kagome blinked her sleepy eyes open one at a time. A delicate snort had shaken her from what had been a mostly pleasant dream… mostly. There had been chocolates, and flowers, and… Sesshoumaru. But she was awake now, and Sesshoumaru no longer had short hair or a tan. No, presently he was stalking off to the north, his armor discarded, but Tetsusaiga still firmly attached to his hip.

She supposed he had woken up in the middle of the night by-

Why was her throat so dry? It felt like she'd been… snoring? Aha! _She_ had no doubt caused the taiyoukai to wake, and then he'd snorted at her (she guessed in disgust) before walking off, thus shifting her from sunny dream-world back to the cold, hard ground of reality.

Well, seeing as he'd made little if any conversation with her in the two days since their 'incident' in the spring, she guessed it was back to square one with the cold, unfeeling youkai. And just when she thought his shell was cracking…

Kagome made up her mind. She would go hunt him down and _make_ him talk to her, by god! Higurashi Kagome didn't have to put up with pompous, arrogant, beautiful… wait, no! She didn't have to put up with _his_ attitude, he had to put up with _hers_.

A mischievous smile on her face, Kagome slid from her sleeping bag and high-tailed it after the rapidly retreating lord.

_oooooooo_

By the time she'd caught up to him, Sesshoumaru was deep into his meditative state. Nothing clouded his mind. Not his annoying younger sibling, not the fate of the wind sorceress, not the alluringly innocent miko, and certainly not… Rin.

No, his mind was blissfully blank. In some ways, meditation was better than sleep. Sleep entailed dreams and nightmares, but meditation allowed one's mind to be completely and utterly clear.

And it was because his brain was so unfocused on the world around him that he did not hear one of the things that his mind was absolutely _not_ dwelling on approach him

Kagome hopped across the creek on quiet toes, hoping that he was around there somewhere. She was tired, out of breath, and all she really wanted to do was sleep. But she wanted to speak with Sesshoumaru even more, if that was possible, and she was determined. Hadn't he said that was something he admired about her? Her determination. She groaned inwardly. And if he was just lonely and needing some 'compassion'? Well, then she was the fool, wasn't she?

Foolish or not, she was about ready to drop. And like an answer to her prayers, there he was.

He was perched in what Kagome could honestly say was the weirdest tree she had ever seen. It had five thick branches poking out from approximately four feet up its trunk, and the rest of it was branchless save for the top, which had a fray of leaves that formed a tiny dome. On the thickest of the branches sat Sesshoumaru, lotus position. His eyes were closed, and his chest was rising and falling in a regular pattern. If she hadn't known better, Kagome would have thought he was sleeping.

Just in case she was wrong, she slowly flashed a hand in front of his face. Nothing. This time she waved a little closer, and a little faster. Still nothing.

A defeated sigh escaped her lips. _One last time,_ she thought. Her hand rose up to his eye level, and-

"This is the second time you have disturbed me tonight, miko."

A strong hand gripped her wrist, and Kagome had to stifle a scream. Icy amber eyes opened and met hers. He was looking down at her. _In more ways than one_, her mind spit out ruefully.

"Oh, so it's back to miko, is it?" she said testily. When he gripped her arm tighter, she flinched.

"I… I wanted to talk to you," Kagome stammered. Her wrist was starting to go numb. "And could you let go? You're… hurting me."

He dropped her wrist but continued to stare at her. Kagome felt a bit like a bug in a specimen jar.

"Um… like I said, I wanted to talk to you."

No response from the inuyoukai.

"When I said talk, that means you have to say something back. So when I ask 'how are you', you say…"

Nothing.

Kagome let out a deep breath. This was obviously not going to be easy.

"Alright then, I'll just make this quick. Um… well, how about I start with what's really on my mind? Like the other night when we, uh… w-when you kissed me. Why did you do that? I mean, I know you said you realized that despising humans was silly, but I still didn't think you'd ever kiss one, especially me, and-"

"Stop this incessant prattling. I kissed you because you were very enchanting that night, and I wished to taste your lips. However, you are starting to make me regret that decision, and I do _not_ regret my decisions… ever."

Kagome was amused, appalled, and oddly aroused at the same time. Amused, because she had never heard Sesshoumaru string together so many sentences… save for the time he was recanting his terrible tragedy to the group. Appalled, because she was _prattling_ and making him 'regret his decision'. Aroused, because no one other than Sesshoumaru could make a chewing-out sound so… _pleasant_. He had wanted to taste her lips? That was one she was sure the boys in her era would never say.

Suddenly, she didn't want to be there anymore. She wanted to hide in her sleeping bag until the sun topped the sky tomorrow, but she knew that was the coward's way out. Kagome was no coward. Fool, perhaps… but coward? No sir.

With head held high, Kagome started her rebuttal.

"Perhaps it's different for you since you're _always_ perfect, you _never_ prattle, and you _never_ regret a decision. I, on the other hand, am not perfect, I prattle 'incessantly', and sometimes I do regret my decisions. But you know what? At least I'm not a cold, unfeeling, bast-"

A hard body slamming her to the ground cut off her rant. Sesshoumaru's eyes were fairly glowing, and his dangerously clawed hand was hovering near Kagome's throat as he leaned precariously over her.

"I am _not_ unfeeling," he growled, and roughly attacked her lips with his own.

She'd wanted to continue that stream of insults she'd been throwing his way, but he had obviously thought she was doing him an injustice. And, boy, he didn't lack for conviction. Her lips parted of their own accord, and the demon lord's tongue slipped between them. She moaned lightly, and moved her hands up to his waist from their resting position on the ground. He was so hot; Kagome could feel the warmth radiating from his clothing.

Sesshoumaru's mind was reeling. The things this infuriating girl drove him to do! He had touched her once, in the spring, and hadn't thought anything of it. It was enjoyable, and he'd been more than happy about it at the time. Then later he had given the situation more thought. He had decided it best to keep business and pleasure separate, and he was still firmly convinced this was true. But tonight she had sought him out, and she had been eager about it. Even through her whining and fussing she had retained an air of dignity, and that intrigued him. And her eyes. The looks she gave him were full of innocence and, oddly enough, trust. She reminded him so much of the human he had lost, but at the same time was utterly different. He had previously said that she was enchanting, and standing below him and the full moon, defiant to the last, she was so much more than that. She had captivated him.


	7. Slow Like Honey

Emily: Hi folks, Emily here. This chapter will be set to Fiona Apple's "Slow Like Honey". I also wanted to remind you that today is 'Rate and Review Day'! Ok, not really, but if that'll make you kids drop me a line, then…

Inuyasha: Maybe your desperate, whiny voice will make them want to review…

Emily: Inuyasha, dear… don't _make_ me scratch your ears again. I know how much you _hate_ it, and all.

Inuyasha: ::blushes:: Um, yeah, I hate it, all right… ::leans head toward Emily's hands almost imperceptibly:: I hate it _so_ much…

oooooooo

Kagome was in heaven. Really, truly, in heaven. The chills she could not control were racing up and down her arched spine as Sesshoumaru's hot breath seared her skin. She had been startled at fist, when he'd all but thrown her to the ground, but shock turned to pleasant surprise when he kissed her. His arm was planted in the dirt now, claws flexing and un-flexing as he rained nips and wet kisses on her exposed throat. God, this was wonderful. Better than any dream she had ever had. And, unlike in her timidly sexual dreams, _he_ had come to _her_. She shivered, hands roaming over his back, up to his silky white mane. _So beautiful_…

_You moved like honey in my dream last night  
Yeah, some old fires were burning  
You came near to me and you endeared to me  
But you couldn't quite discern me_

_Does that scare you? I'll let you run away  
But your heart will not oblige you  
You'll remember me like a melody  
Yeah, I'll haunt the world inside you _

_And my big secret - Gonna win you over  
Slow like honey, heavy with mood_

Sesshoumaru was nearly quaking with restraint. His brain was on fire, along with every inch of his skin. It seemed so wrong to him, this abandoned display of desire, but he was at a loss as to a reasonable explanation. Before Rin, the taiyoukai would have tossed these thoughts aside with a flip of his delicate hand. Indulgence in matters sexual was something that lower, baser creatures prided themselves in. He was far above such primitive urges, and had been so his entire life. But now here he was, straddling a female, a _human_ female no less, and he was enjoying it. The idea that he might be losing the iron grip he'd retained on his will for so long frightened him just enough to make him open his eyes.

_I'll let you see me, I'll covet your regard  
I'll invade your demeanor  
And you'll yield to me like a scent in the breeze  
And you'll wonder what it is about me_

_It's my big secret - Keeping you coming  
Slow like honey, heavy with mood_

When Kagome opened her eyes, Sesshoumaru was staring down at her with the utmost intensity. Had it been possible to set things ablaze with a look, Kagome knew she'd be running for the water right about now. His gaze traveled down the length of her body, back up, and into her eyes. _So much like Inuyasha…_came the unbidden, traitorous thought. A pained sigh escaped her mouth, and the taiyoukai above her stiffened. A small hand lifted to rosy cheeks and lips, touching the burning evidence of her body's desire. _Don't I love…Inuyasha? How can I do this to him… to us? _Her mind screamed. Sesshoumaru noted her uncomfortable stare, and placed his hand over hers on her flushed face. A dark whisper seeped into her thoughts like oil onto the sea. _Because he will never see you like this. He will never _want_ to see you the way his brother does. He made his choice long ago, and now, you must make yours…_

_Though dreams can be deceiving  
Like faces are to hearts  
They serve for sweet relieving  
When fantasy and reality lie too far apart _

_So I stretch myself across, like a bridge  
And I pull you to the edge  
And stand there waiting  
Trying to attain  
The end to satisfy the story  
Shall I release you?  
Must I release you?  
As I rise to meet my glory_

Yes, a decision was imminent. But it was so hard let go of a first love. To let go was to forget, wasn't it? Kagome didn't want to forget. She loved him, she loved Inuyasha, in whatever sense. They'd been traveling through the world together for so long that it seemed ludicrous that she could just stop. She had promised him, once, that she would be with him forever, and she _wanted_ to keep that promise more than anything. She also wanted him to reciprocate the love she offered him so often, and so freely, but she knew it was pointless. She couldn't blame him, really. He had pledged his heart to another such a long time ago, and he was determined not to let that love die, even if his lover had. It was admirable, she supposed, but what was right for him was tearing her apart. She knew it as certain as she knew that the sun would rise in the east. She had to let him go, she had to move on…

… and Sesshoumaru was presenting quite an enjoyable release.

_But my big secret  
Gonna hover over your life  
Gonna keep you reaching  
When I'm gone like yesterday  
When I'm high like heaven  
When I'm strong like music  
'Cuz I'm slow like honey, and  
Heavy with mood_

Sesshoumaru could almost see the jumble of thoughts running through her mind. He also knew what she was thinking. He was not his brother. She was in love with the pestering hanyou, and he realized this, but she was debating _something_ inside her skull. Making a choice, no doubt. Pain or pleasure? Happiness or heartbreak? Not to say that he was _offering_ her happiness. He was Inu no Taishou… Taiyoukai of the Western Lands, great demon Lord, he was… he was… cracking. The icy façade he had so cleverly hidden behind his entire life was chipping away, and this girl was holding the ice pick. This simple, innocent, _human_ miko was making him question things he had taken as certainties his whole life. Happiness was for the weak, _satisfaction_ was for the strong. Fools fell in love, leaders made 'beneficial arrangements'. And humans were the weakest and most foolish of all, weren't they? So why did he not find this girl weak _or_ foolish? How was it that she could make his blood rise with but a glance? The answer still eluded him, but he was in no hurry to discern it just yet.

He let his thumb run over the girl's bottom lip, and she looked up to meet his eyes, finally.

"Whatever decision you make, Kagome… let it be the right one."

And then there were no more words, no more thoughts… just two people in the moonlight, lost in each other's touch.

oooooooo

Emily: ::dreamy sigh:: Well, that was my first attempt at a song-fic. And honestly, who wouldn't give their left arm to be in Kagome's position right now?

Inuyasha: ::Snicker:: Well, Sesshoumaru already _gave_ his left arm…

Emily: Oh, you are _pushing_ it, mister! You wanna eat some more hallucinogenic fungi? 'Cuz I can make that a reality…

Inuyasha: ::backs away slowly, hands up:: No, no! That's all right. I'll be good, I swear! ::twirls hair in fingers timidly:: Do you, uh… wanna scratch my ears, maybe?


	8. Master

Emily: Hello again! I wanted to give this to all my reviewers. ::Throws GIGANTIC cookie to each person:: I'll have you know those took me _hours_ to bake… I hope none of you are allergic to chocolate chips!

Inuyasha: ::pouts:: _I'm _not allergic to chocolate, but you never asked me if I wanted a cookie…

Emily: That's because I already gave you your chocolate for today!

Inuyasha: Yeah, about that… is there something I should know about this stuff, 'cuz everything's-

Emily: What?! Who said I gave you mushroom chocolates? ::Guilty look:: Ok… I gave you a _little_ bit… how ya feelin'?

Inuyasha: Like a pretty, pretty princess! You want me to braid your hair?

Emily: Uh… sure… just watch those claws, buddy.

oooooooo

(…_Kagome_…)

(_Kaaagome_…)

"Kagome!"

The miko in question bolted upright at the sound of her name being called _quite_ loudly in her ear. She sighed and stretched lazily, disappointment evident in her frowning face. She had been having such a _nice_ dream. She and Sesshoumaru had been… well, _making out_ under the full moon. Why was it she had to be shaken from every pleasant-

"Eep!" she cried as her 'bedding' moved beneath her. Whipping her head to the right resulted in an _extreme_ close-up with Sesshoumaru's white-clad chest. And it was all coming back to her now.

It hadn't been a dream! It was real, and she was currently snuggled up to the demon lord with whom she had been so… intimate last night.

Cheeks tinged a pink brighter than the now-rising sun, Kagome lifted timid eyes to the inuyoukai's face. He was looking down his nose at her…_again_. She mentally slapped herself. _What, did you think one glorified slobberfest in the dirt was gonna make him roll over and beg? Please. Although…begging _would_ be nice…_ Kagome only blushed farther at these thoughts, but she gave the demon lord her best impression of an innocent smile.

"Good morning!"

oooooooo

Sesshoumaru, however, was having none of her deceivingly cheerful 'good morning' nonsense.

He had been fine, _pleased_ even, with the situation at hand until he had risen that morning to find the miko in his lap. He remembered willingly drawing her with him up into the branches of the odd tree after they had… caroused beneath the moon. The moment she'd wrapped them in his father's pelt he had fallen into a peaceful slumber. A sleep that, for the first time in several months, did not include any nightmares. He had awakened to find the girl still in his embrace, and suddenly everything seemed a bit too… familiar. He felt far too much like his father, dallying with a human female, and all of his doubts and inhibitions came flying back with a vengeance. He could feel his face slipping back into its usually stony countenance, and guilt flashed briefly through his mind before he could stop it. Somewhere deep within the recesses of his brain he _knew_ he was about to do a cowardly thing, but at the moment he wasn't quite sure that he could deal with the consequences of bravery.

So, gathering his wounded, arrogant pride, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and called her name.

oooooooo

When he hadn't said anything in response to her greeting, Kagome looked away from his piercing stare and slid onto the ground below them. She would have been upset that he was regarding her with such aloofness, but she wasn't an idiot. She smiled, careful not to direct it at him. He was scared. _Sesshoumaru is scared. Will wonders never cease?_ She thought idly. A part of her knew that he was sliding back into his usual icy demeanor because he was most likely a bit overwhelmed… hell, _she _was even overwhelmed… but that part of her was sad nonetheless.

Shaking her sadness away with a full-body stretch, Kagome turned around to face the demon in the tree. "Well, we should be getting back to camp. Everyone's probably wondering where we are."

Sesshoumaru said nothing, only nodded and nimbly leapt down to the ground beside her. He gave her a last, lingering gaze, and turned away. Kagome sighed once more, then grabbed her previously discarded shoes and followed the great white youkai.

oooooooo

Something was not right. Sesshoumaru could feel it even before his nose detected the faint scent of blood on the morning breeze. His brother's blood. Kagura's blood. The taijiya as well. No, something was not right here, and he told the miko as much.

"How far is it back to camp?" she asked, worry tingeing her voice.

"Too far for you to reach it quickly," he said, speaking in grave tones.

Kagome shuddered involuntarily. She had this funny feeling in the pit of her stomach…

"Jewel shard!" she exclaimed. "Inuyasha and the others must have run into a demon with one. It's pretty far away, though, we'll have to- hey!"

The girl squealed as Sesshoumaru dragged her up against his side. He ignored her cries of protest, and gave her a look that shut her up quite effectively. "We will have to travel faster." That being said, he gripped her even tighter and sped off in the direction from which he had smelled the blood of his new traveling companions.

It did not take them as long to reach the rest of the Inu-tachi as Kagome had thought it would. Two minutes of near-blinding speed had put her mind akimbo, and she stumbled onto the grass before a strong hand brought her upright once again.

The sight that met her eyes was not a pleasant one. Campsite, dawn, two people already down. The enormous lizard youkai had been doing a number on her friends… not to mention the saimyoushou that were hovering around the foul thing. _Like evil little note-takers_, Kagome thought with disdain. They had obviously been Miroku's early downfall, and it looked as though Kagura had gotten a literal eye-full of the youkai's poison saliva.

Said saliva was being thrown around with reckless abandon, and a stray drop hit Kagome on her right arm. And it _burned_. She wiped at it with her skirt, and the burning subsided a bit. This was going to be so much fun…

Noticing her bow and quiver lying haphazardly on the ground, Kagome ran to retrieve them. She could see the two shards in the beast's tail and right arm. This was her area, this is what she knew… now she just had to get them _out_ of the demon.

"Inuyasha! Two shards! One's in his right arm, one's in his tail! And make it snappy, this poison's burning me to bits!" she yelled in the hanyou's direction as she nocked an arrow. Inuyasha slashed the lizard twice before turning toward her.

"And where were you and my no-good brother this morning, huh?" he spit, amber eyes flashing.

If she had even _wanted_ to debate this with him now, she wouldn't have for fear of her friends' eminent death by slobber.

"Does that even _matter_ right now? Kill this thing, and then we'll talk!" she shouted over the youkai's threats to all their lives, their children's lives, their blah blah blah… Kagome briefly wondered if Naraku handed all of his minions a script before they went off to battle her and her shard-hunting pals.

Amusing thoughts of Naraku in a director's chair were thrown aside as a particularly gooey blob of poison flew toward her. She knew, as she stood there holding her arrow at the ready, that she couldn't dodge the saliva. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and prayed for a miracle.

A miracle she promptly received as Sesshoumaru grabbed her arm, jerking her a safe distance away from the snot rocket.

Cold, pale eyes met her own dazed ones, and she flashed the demon lord a thankful smile. He only quirked an eyebrow.

After Kagome had regained her feet, the inuyoukai whirled to face the lizard, his brother, and the taijiya. The two remaining fighters were giving it their all, and seemed to be wining… that is until Inuyasha was pierced through the middle by a very sharp, very long claw. Sesshoumaru smirked as his brother fell. Not to mock his sibling's pain, but to note the lizard demon's very near death. No one fought against his allies and _lived_.

Sesshoumaru strode calmly over to the front of the youkai, noting the taijiya's weary expression. She was almost run-out. She had done enough, however, and Sesshoumaru called out to the lizard.

"Demon! You work for Naraku. He gave you the shards housed inside your body." The taiyoukai's words reverberated across the clearing, and the ugly beast lowered its green head to stare at him.

"What of it, pessst? Do you not think I will do away with you like your friendsss here?" It hissed, spittle flecking from its scaly lips.

"Hmm. You underestimate this Sesshoumaru, demon. And these are not my friends." Having chatted enough with his prey, Sesshoumaru sprang into action. His hand grasped Tetsusaiga's hilt…

…And its barrier immediately repelled him.

"Keh. You can't use _my_ sword, Sesshoumaru. There isn't a human in the world you would care about enough to want to protect."

The demon lord growled menacingly… at his brother, _and _the lizard who was currently heading in Kagome's direction.

Kagome!

"Hey ugly! Yeah, you!" she yelled, bow and arrow in hand, just waiting to be propelled into the youkai's heart. When the demon faced her, however, her courage faltered momentarily… and that was when the huge thing attacked.

Its tail came spinning around like a bullwhip. She could hear the rush of air as it came racing toward her. Before she could chicken out, Kagome released her arrow, a bright pink light shimmering from all sides of the shaft. And still the tail came faster…

But it never struck her… at least, she never _felt_ it strike her. When she opened eyes she hadn't known had been shut, the demon lay in two pieces, green ooze spilling from its body. Her gaze traveled to the shards the lay in the muck, and in the midst of the slime stood Sesshoumaru… the transformed Tetsusaiga in his hand.

oooooooo

He didn't know exactly how it had happened, but his father's fang had suddenly sprung to life. He watched as the demon's tail began its arc toward the miko… and his heart had frozen. He was about to lose her as surely as he had lost Rin. She would die, and this time it _would_ be his fault. He would not be fouled twice by Naraku, and he would not lose… he would not… _her_.

His mind howled, inner demon begging, for release, but he pushed it down as Tetsusaiga pulsed at his hip. He didn't even think as he reached down a second time for the blade. It came from its sheath smoothly, barrier disregarded, and he lashed out blindly, madly. He _would not _loseanyone else he cared for to Naraku!

His world flashed red, and the next thing he knew the lizard was gone, and he was covered in acrid green gunk that the miko was hurriedly purifying. _So she can claim the shards, only for the shards… not for me_, he thought darkly. He decided to ignore the fact that she was lightly touching the green mess on his arm, and not the lizard youkai.

He turned his attention to Tetsusaiga, still transformed into its fang-like state. All his amazement at such a feat was cleverly hidden behind his bored expression as he then looked to his brother, being helped from the ground by the houshi.

He flicked his wrist, and the sword reverted back to its rusty, used appearance. It was carefully placed back at his hip, and he smirked in satisfaction at his younger sibling's bewildered look.

"So, Inuyasha… who does Tetsusaiga call 'master' now?"

No one could meet the demon lord's eyes at that moment, and none wanted to see the proud glimmer contained within.

oooooooo

Emily: Well, that about does it for chapter 8. You kids come back tomorrow, and I should have another one up and ready! And while I write, I'll be entertaining myself with an Inuyasha who thinks he's a _real_ dog.

Inuyasha: Bark! ::Wags butt, as he has no tail::

Emily: Oh, if only he'd stay so pleasant all the time…


	9. Discovery

Emily: So Kavfh tells me I get a really big cookie if I get Kagome and Sesshoumaru together! Well, Kavfh… you got some milk handy? Our favorite couple will _certainly_ be falling for each other, but Sessy-poo needs a wee bit more time to come to terms with his emotions before he can make 'that kind of commitment'. Hey, doesn't that kinda sound like a cop-out? Yeah, well, I didn't really want to argue that point with him. His brother's a big enough pain as it is!

Inuyasha: Hey! ::growls 'menacingly'::

Emily: Oh hush up. You're just jealous 'cause Sess is getting some, and you're not.

Inuyasha: Yeah, all I get is a damn ear scratching once in a while... and you feed me mind-altering substances. You know, I don't think I _like_ you very much. ::Pouts::

oooooooo

_What a morning_, Kagome thought. She'd only been awake for a few hours, and already she'd done so much. She fought a demon, took care of Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kagura's wounds, and had several moments of awkward silence with Sesshoumaru… all before breakfast, which she was currently passing out to everyone who wanted it.

Miroku was leaning against a tree, being hand-fed Fruitloops by Sango. Kagome knew he was in serious pain, having taken in one of the saimyoushou as he attempted to suck up the lizard youkai. In a way, it was best that his kazaana had not consumed the demon… they would be minus two shard now if he'd succeeded. His brow was furrowed into a deep frown as Sango directed the strange, fruit-flavored rings into his mouth. He took a bite and smiled. He had fruity goodness in his mouth, and one of Sango's lush curves in his left hand. The taijiya didn't have the heart to whack the injured houshi, so she sighed and let him have his fun… for now.

Kagome couldn't help but chuckle. Miroku's lecherous groping brought a bit of sunshine into the murk of this busy morning.

"What's so funny?" came an irritated voice from behind her.

She whirled around, and Inuyasha was sitting on the ground, miserably fingering the bandage around his stomach. Kagome shook her head, brushing his question away, and sat beside him.

"How does your wound feel? Is it healing yet?"

Inuyasha looked away from her, settling his eyes on Sesshoumaru, who was quietly conversing with Kagura. "Why him, Kagome?" he whispered.

The girl was a bit confused. Why who? And what about 'him'?

"I- what do you mean? Who?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. Obviously this was not what the hanyou wanted to hear.

"Damnit, Kagome, don't play dumb with me! You know exactly what I mean! Why _him_? Why _Sesshoumaru_? Why did the fucking Tetsusaiga transform for him when the demon attacked _you_, huh? What reason does he have to protect some stupid _human_ miko?"

Inuyasha was yelling at her now, and Kagome scuttled backward, away from him. She was about to cry, sit him, and run away… maybe not in that particular order. Someone beat her to the scolding, though.

Sesshoumaru, silent as the predator he was, slipped between his brother and Kagome, Tetsusaiga drawn and transformed. The point of his weapon was dangerously close to Inuyasha's throat as he growled out his warning.

"If I were you I would leave this girl alone. She has done nothing to you, you miserable whelp."

Inuyasha's eyes briefly glowed red, and Kagome gripped the empty sleeve of Sesshoumaru's haori. He spared her a glance before turning his attention back to his quick-tempered younger brother.

The brief distraction Kagome had caused Sesshoumaru was enough for Inuyasha to fly toward the two of them, claws aimed at his sibling. Kagome's eyes went wide with fear, and her brain reacted so quickly she didn't have time to stop _the word _from slipping out from between her lips.

"Sit!"

Kagome winced, but mentally ticked of 'sit him' from her list of things to do.

Inuyasha groaned, his face in the dirt. He rolled himself over and carefully sat up, gripping his stomach. Suddenly Kagome was regretting using the s-word.

"Inuyasha," she started, but he held up a hand to quiet her.

"No, don't apologize. I guess I kinda… deserved that."

The half-demon peered up at her between his bangs, and she stepped out from behind Sesshoumaru. Shaky legs propelled her to Inuyasha's side, and she put her hands on his shoulders.

"Could we not do this here, please? Let's go to the river, clean you up, and then we'll talk, okay?" she said, looking into his eyes. She expected to find a bit of anger, contempt, or malice, but all she saw in his amber depths was sadness. She resisted the urge to cry, blinking rapidly, and took his clawed hands in hers.

"Come on, let's go."

Kagome helped Inuyasha to his feet, and they began the long walk to the river.

Before they were out of sight, she turned around and looked for Sesshoumaru. He was standing in the same place she'd left him, staring at her and the arm she had wrapped around his brother's waist.

oooooooo

When they reached the river, Kagome helped Inuyasha remove the gauze bandage from his stomach. The puncture wound there was still swollen, red, and ugly, but Kagome thought it could have been a lot worse.

"You're really lucky, you know," she said, gently fingering the puckered skin on his abdomen.

Inuyasha snorted, then hissed at the contact with his wound. "Oh yeah? How so?"

Kagome stopped touching the mark and rested her hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her palm. "You're still alive."

The hanyou in front of her stiffened then crouched low to meet her eyes. He gave her a small, sad smile, one hand coming up to cover hers on his chest.

"Sometimes I think I'm only alive because of you…" His words were soft, but serious. And he was… leaning forward.

Kagome realized too late what Inuyasha was doing, and their lips met. Unmercifully, her memory played out their last kiss, brought on by Inuyasha's demonic side; when she had been in love with him. It was enough to make her cry, and she could not stop them this time. She let the tears fall for the loss of her first love, for the loss of _his_ first love, and for what she was about to do. She pushed him away.

He only sat there, looking at her, and she could see the tears in his eyes as well. He knew. It was over. As much as they both wanted it, he did not love her the way she deserved to be loved, and it was hurting them both.

"I'm sorry," Kagome choked, burying her hands in her hair. "I love you so much, Inuyasha, but… I know you don't love me the same way. All I want is for you to be happy, but I can't keep fooling myself like this. You love Kikyou… you always have, you always will, and I accept that."

Inuyasha looked a bit crestfallen, but he took a deep breath, wiping his wet eyes. "I never meant to hurt you, Kagome, not ever. I'm sorry that I did, but please… could you stay with me… until we find the rest of the shards? I wont…" he sighed painfully before continuing. "I don't want to lose you… not yet."

Kagome smiled and smeared tears all over her face before launching herself at Inuyasha. "Of course I'll stay! Remember when I told you I'll always be with you?"

Inuyasha nodded into her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her.

"Well, it's not any less true now! Inuyasha, I will always love you, you know that, but it's time for us… for me… to let go. I think it'll be good for us, you know?" she said, a laugh bursting from her. "And I promise I won't get mad anymore when you go see Kikyou!"

At this, Inuyasha could only smile. What a wonderful person she was. What a great friend. And damnit, what a lucky son-of-a-bitch his brother was!

"Hey, Kagome… you wanna tell me what's going on between you and my brother?"

Kagome's laughter died out, and her face turned approximately the shade of a cherry as she broke the hug they'd been sharing. Her eyes darted side to side, not meeting her friend's, and she wiggled a bit. She was _so_ busted! Instead of admitting to him what he most likely knew already, Kagome decided to test out her theory that Inuyasha was slower than molasses.

"Uh… nothing?"

Obviously, he _wasn't_ that slow.

"Well, you wanna know what _I_ think?"

"I guess so, but-"

"_I_ think… that my brother is somehow, _some way_… falling in love with you."

Kagome's mouth, unbeknownst to her, had fallen open so wide that a small insect was able to fly inside. Adding insult to injury, the mischievous bug dropped down Kagome's throat… and she threw up her breakfast all over her hanyou companion.

oooooooo

Somewhere far to the northwest of Kagome, Inuyasha, and the rest of the shard-hunters, Naraku sat against the wall, eyes closed. The saimyoushou had done their job very well, aside from the one that made the mistake of getting too close to the monk's kazaana. Evil laughter filled the large, empty room.

"So Kagura _and_ Lord Sesshoumaru have joined Inuyasha."

He took a sip of the tea that had been placed before him earlier.

"And Sesshoumaru has mastered the Tetsusaiga… how very interesting."

Another sip of tea, another moment of silent contemplation.

"Kohaku."

The shadow of a boy appeared outside the screen door. "Yes, master Naraku."

Kohaku's master rose from the floor and walked over to the boy, his puppet.

"Kohaku, I want you to find Inuyasha. Find him, and bring me his shard-detector… Kagome."

oooooooo

Back at camp, Kagura, Shippou, Miroku, and Sango were huddled near the cook fire. The goal of the meeting was to answer one burning question: how in Hell did Sesshoumaru manage to control Tetsusaiga?!

"I think he put a spell on it!" whispered Shippou.

"Maybe he made Toutousai re-work it so that he could wield it?" was Miroku's guess.

Kagura only smiled as the three people around her postulated. She knew why, and it made her laugh.

"The answer is simple," she piped in, and the other members of the group paused their dialect, looking at her expectantly.

"Sesshoumaru-sama is in love." The wind demon said no more, content to simply flutter her fan by her face and let the humans and kitsune stew in their own confounded juices.

Apparently, everyone had been rendered speechless. Sesshoumaru… in _love_? How absurd! He couldn't be in love! Besides, there wasn't anyone _for_ him to love, unless…

Shippou, ever astute, voiced what everyone was thinking.

"_Kagome_?"

oooooooo

In the woods, not far removed from the campsite, sat Sesshoumaru. Back to a tree, legs in lotus position, he was attempting to meditate once more. Last time he'd done this, that… _Kagome_ girl had disturbed him. Albeit not unpleasantly, but still, he had some catching up to do on the clarity of his mental state.

But, oh, that _girl_!

He could not shake the image of her beneath him under the full moon. Lips parted, eyes glazed with passion, need, lust… She was driving him insane! Every time he thought about her, about something that could even remotely be _linked_ to her, he felt his heart beat faster. His mind was enveloped in a cloud of her scent, always. It was as if she'd enchanted him. Yes, she had enchanted him! That was the only _logical_ explanation for these feelings.

He could never _love_ a human… not with the exception of Rin, but that was parental love, and his beliefs system was willing to accommodate that emotion. _Romantic_ love, however, was out of the question. While it was true that he no longer despised humans the way he had previously, he certainly didn't love them. And he _certainly_ did not love this girl, this miko.

_Her name is Kagome_, his brain supplied as if reprimanding him for belittling her worth to him. _She is not common, she is not low… she is special. The girl means something not only to her friends and your despicable brother, but to you as well. Only a fool denies his true feelings. Does that make you a fool, then?_

"This Sesshoumaru is _not_ a fool. It is simply difficult to… to change one's thoughts and beliefs that one has held all his life. Change is not always easy…"

…_But change is sometimes necessary. Admit it to yourself, first, and then, when the time is appropriate, tell the girl… tell her that you love her._

oooooooo

Emily: So, how was that?! I had a blast writing this chapter, but I guess that's thanks in part to my absence the past few days. Been getting' myself a $9,000 bonus for my MI job… learning Chinese is proving to be _quite_ lucrative…

Inuyasha: Keh. You gonna give _me_ any of that money?

Emily: 'Keh' yourself, dog boy. If you _touch_ my money, I'm gonna sic Kouga on you! Speaking of Kouga, where is our studly wolf prince? Perhaps I can lure him into my room… ::evil ideas pop into Emily's head::


End file.
